[% setvar title Form a documentation working group to edit, clean, and producedocumentation %]
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<a name='TITLE'></a><h1>TITLE</h1>
<p>Form a documentation working group to edit, clean, and produce
documentation</p>
<a name='VERSION'></a><h1>VERSION</h1>
<pre>  Maintainer: Daniel Chetlin &lt;<a href='mailto:daniel@chetlin.com'>daniel@chetlin.com</a>&gt;
  Date: 15 Sep 2000
  Mailing List: <a href='mailto:perl6-meta@perl.org'>perl6-meta@perl.org</a>
  Number: 240
  Version: 1
  Status: Developing</pre>
<a name='ABSTRACT'></a><h1>ABSTRACT</h1>
<p>The Perl documentation suite is one of the best things going for Perl.
It is thorough, well-written, informative, and enjoyable.</p>
<p>However, it was put together patchwork over a long period of time, and
is extremely large and unwieldy. Some parts of the documentation have
not been revised for years, even when they contain incorrect or outdated
information.</p>
<p>This RFC proposes a way to manage documentation for Perl6, as well as
give the Perl5 docs a much needed spring cleaning.</p>
<a name='DESCRIPTION'></a><h1>DESCRIPTION</h1>
<p>The RFC process has brought out a large number of people who want to
discuss and debate aspects of Perl. It is the goal of this RFC to
propose a method of harnessing this interest for the good not only of
Perl6, but of Perl5 as well.</p>
<p>This proposed method is simple: a mailing list will be set up with an
express purpose of editing, correcting, re-ordering, re-organizing, and
expanding existing documentation.</p>
<p>This mailing list will not relate to proposals to change Perl; it will
deal with Perl's current behavior only. When there is more information
about the changes from Perl5 to Perl6, the documentation mailing list
will begin incorporating those changes into the documentation. Until
then, however, there is still plenty of work to be done, and no reason
that this work cannot begin immediately.</p>
<p>The mailing list will concentrate on one .pod file at a time, devoting
its entire collective energy on editing the .pod in question. The
preferable way of submitting edits is via patches, but the mailing list
chair will be responsible for incorporating edits that are submitted in
other ways. After a reasonable amount of time, during which not only
edits to the initial file, but also edits to the edits, are accepted,
the mailing list chair will collect all changes into a master patch, and
submit it to the perl5-porters mailing list for inclusion into the core.
At that point, a new file will be selected for editing.</p>
<p>Here is a sketch of how a typical editing period might go:</p>
<ul>
<li><a name='1'></a>1</li>
<p>The mailing list chair selects a documentation file to be edited, and
posts the most current version of this file to the list.</p>
<li><a name='2'></a>2</li>
<p>At that point, anything in the file is up for change, and editors will
begin submitting patches or changes to the file.</p>
<ul>
<li><a name='For extremely minor changes (typos, word choice, etc.) it is acceptable for an editor to post that change without a patch. For example:'></a>For extremely minor changes (typos, word choice, etc.) it is acceptable
for an editor to post that change without a patch. For example:</li>
<pre>        On 15 September 2000, Daniel Chetlin wrote:
        &gt; Currently up for editing: perlguts.pod
        [snip]
        &gt; These two functions check if a hash table
        &gt; entry exists, and deletes it.

        s/deletes it/delete an entry, respectively/</pre>
<li><a name='For changes that alter a larger portion of the file without changing its general layout, a unified diff is best.'></a>For changes that alter a larger portion of the file without changing its
general layout, a unified diff is best.</li>
<li><a name='For massive changes, posting simply the entirety of the rewording can also be acceptable.'></a>For massive changes, posting simply the entirety of the rewording can
also be acceptable.</li>
</ul>
<li><a name='3'></a>3</li>
<p>The mailing list chair will be responsible for tracking all changes and
recording them for the final product.</p>
<li><a name='4'></a>4</li>
<p>After a reasonable period of time, the mailing list chair will post the
final version of the document. There will be a brief sanity check period
wherein editors will confirm that their changes have been added and no
new mistakes have been made.</p>
<li><a name='5'></a>5</li>
<p>Finally, the mailing list chair submits the modified file as a diff to
the perl5-porters mailing list and begins the process anew with another
file.</p>
</ul>
<p>While there is sure to be some discussion on this list (such as what
files to work on and how to make certain changes), the main focus will
be on <b>doing</b>, not talking.</p>
<a name='IMPLEMENTATION'></a><h1>IMPLEMENTATION</h1>
<p>Selection of a chair, creation of a list, and recruitment of interested
parties is all that is required. The biggest win for this RFC is that it
can be put into effect <b>now</b> and do some good not only for future Perl,
but for current Perl as well.</p>
<a name='REFERENCES'></a><h1>REFERENCES</h1>
<p>The Perl documentation, as well as Tom Christiansen's excellent new
perlman tools, which will be put through their paces by this proposal.</p>
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